The Old Rite Is “Breathtakingly Beautiful”

Father Cassian Folsom, the founder of the Benedictine monks in Norcia, Italy, experienced the Old Latin Mass first in the 1990s while vising the monastery in Le Barroux, France.

Folsom told onepeterfive.com (January 18) what went through his mind in that moment, “This is what it’s supposed to be like!” And, “It just took my breath away, because of that beauty.”

Folsom explained that in the Old Latin Mass the personality of the priest does not matter. His role is objective and therefore disappears.

On the other hand, “in the Novus Ordo, because of the versus populum practice, and because of all the liturgical options the role of the priest becomes terribly subjective.” This caused an unfortunate clericalization of the New Mass, said Folsom.